


Like a Family

by TheSecondBatgirl



Category: Power Rangers R.P.M.
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-18
Updated: 2009-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-04 13:06:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecondBatgirl/pseuds/TheSecondBatgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was almost like having a family again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Family

Ziggy had long since learned that it was best not to try and get too emotionally attached. People would always leave you, people would always betray you. He'd learned that long ago with his family, and then later at the orphanage, and finally as a member of the Scorpion cartel. He had learned to rely on himself, and to try not to attract too much attention, although he'd proven that he wasn't the best at that last part.

Being a member of the Rangers was different. Here he had to rely on other people, to be part of a team. And they had to trust him enough to rely on him. It was a pretty new experience for him, all things considered, but it was one that he was starting to enjoy. It was almost like having a family again. And a family, a _real_ family, was not supposed to leave other people alone when they sounded upset.

It wasn't like Summer was actually crying. She wasn't even tearing up. But she was pounding on the punching bag like it had done something to her personally, and Ziggy didn't think that an inanimate object could have actually done something. Unless the punching bag was really an attack bot, but Summer would have probably have called the rest of the team for backup then. At least he thought that she would. Sometimes it was hard to tell with her.

"Summer?" Ziggy asked hesitantly, and then he dodged the punch she threw at him. He was getting faster at that. He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Chill, Summer, it's just me!"

"Sorry," Summer said, breathing heavily. She didn't sound all that apologetic. Ziggy didn't really mind; he was used to getting punches and kicks thrown at him. It would be easier, and probably safer, to just leave her alone and let her work out whatever it was that was bothering her, but that wasn't what he was supposed to be doing if they were a real family.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing is wrong," she said, but there was a slight edge to her voice that made Ziggy _sure_ that she was lying. He'd gotten pretty good at picking up on that.

"Sure," he agreed. "That's why you're sitting in here instead of bonding with the rest of the team or working on your motorcycle or something. I know that I don't really think that beating up a punching bag is fun, so maybe you do, but I've never seen you do it before, and usually you're at least trying to be mom to all of us and make us be social, so this isn't really like you."

Summer stared at him for a long time, and Ziggy wondered if he should have said less. He was still getting used to this whole family thing.

"You're really observant, aren't you." Summer said finally, and Ziggy didn't think that it was a question.

"Well, yeah," he shrugged. "I guess I learned that I had to be."

Summer moved over to one of the comfy chairs at the side of the room, and plopped down in it, sitting cross legged. She gestured for Ziggy to join her, and he sat down hesitantly.

"I didn't think that anyone had noticed," she said. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Ziggy shrugged. "Sometimes everyone needs alone time," he said finally. "And if you don't want to be disturbed, I totally get it. I just thought that maybe you need someone to talk to."

"I hadn't really told anyone about this," Summer said finally. "It's just... I woke up this morning and realized that today is Andrews' birthday. At least I think it's his birthday. He was usually off on this day. The man practically raised me, and I don't even know when his birthday is."

Summer's voice was getting softer as she talked, and by the end of her little speech, Ziggy was having to strain to listen, even though he was sitting right next to her.

"Andrews?" he asked.

"Our butler. He was... well, he was more of a parent to me than my parents ever really were. He was the one who believed in me, and saw the person I could be, even when I didn't believe in myself. I never really appreciated him, not until it was too late." Ziggy could tell that she was struggling not to cry. "I don't think he ever realized how much I loved him, and now he's gone."

Ziggy reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "I'm sure that he knew," he told her. "I mean, he would have had to be totally blind not to see how awesome you are. He wasn't blind, was he?" he asked quickly.

Summer shook her head.

"Then he knew," Ziggy said confidently. "And he would be really proud of you."

"You think?" Summer asked.

"I know," Ziggy said, bouncing up. "Look, why don't we go and make a cake to celebrate his birthday. And then we can go down to the memorial for everyone that was lost during the attacks."

"You would go with me?" Summer asked.

"Sure," Ziggy told her. "I mean, we're a family now, aren't we? Isn't that what family is supposed to do? And if Andrews was your family, than that would make him part of my family as well. Besides," he said with a shrug, "I like cake."

Summer stood up and squeezed Ziggy's hand gently. "Thank you," she said.

Hand in hand, the two friends walked into the kitchen, trying to figure out if either of them really knew how to bake a cake.


End file.
